What does it mean to listen to a gravestone? Jason Church has spent his life finding out. As Chief of Technical Services at the National Park Service's National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, Jason is one of the country's leading experts in cemetery preservation and monument conservation — but his relationship with these sacred places began long before any credential. It started in fourth grade, in a cemetery in Wilmington, North Carolina, with a caretaker who showed a curious kid things most people never get to see.

In this conversation, Jason talks about what cemeteries hold — not just names and dates, but stories, artistry, spiritual presence, and the living pulse of community memory. We explore the craftsmanship of anonymous stone carvers whose finest work sits in forgotten corners of the country, the oral histories that disappear when a marker crumbles, and what it actually felt like to raise his family inside Laurel Grove South Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia — one of the most historically and spiritually significant African American burial grounds in the South.

For animists, cemetery preservation isn't maintenance. It's reciprocity. It's relationship. And Jason Church has been living that truth since he was nine years old.

Chapters00:00 The Seeds of Curiosity: A Childhood Fascination07:17 Living Among the Dead: Caretaking in a Cemetery11:31 The Art and Science of Preservation16:39 Community and Connection: The People Behind the Graves26:12 Legacy and Storytelling: Keeping Memories Alive#CemeteryPreservation #Animism #AnimistPodcast #SacredLand #CemeteryConservation #HonoringAncestors #GravestoneRestoration #HistoricPreservation #DeathPositive #FolkArt #OralHistory #BurialGrounds #AncestorVeneration #LaurelGroveCemetery #NationalParkService #SpiritInTheGround #CemeteryHistory #SacredSites #GraveyardCulture #TendingTheDead🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode👇 Tell us in the comments — what cemetery has stayed with you?Want to go deeper? Join me here:https://www.patreon.com/cw/PanSocietyAnimismLaura Giles is an animist licensed clinical social worker who specializes in healing trauma. She founded Pan Society to make animism accessible to modern people. She delights in helping people to find their own spiritual path and awaken their innate spiritual wisdom.For more information about Laura Giles, see her websites at https://linktr.ee/lauragilesBumper credits: Music from Pond5. Videos from Pixabay and Pexels.